Clippers Rally Late, Fall Short in Extras as Yankees Take Game Two 5-4
September 10, 2010Pre-Game Intel – Browns vs. Buccaneers
September 10, 2010It’s time! Woo hoo! We’ve warmed up with four “What We’re Watching For…” pieces for the pre-season, and now it’s time to hit for real. The Browns are still technically on a four-game winning streak, and with the start of a new season anything is possible. What time is it? GAME TIME!
On paper, this is hardly a marquee matchup, with the (2009) 5-11 Browns meeting the 3-13 Buccaneers. The Browns looked like an actually-competent team at many times in the pre-season, with an offense that actually moved the ball. QB Jake Delhomme brought some much-needed stability to the position, and the stable of running backs provided OC Brian Daboll with a solid rotation of ball carriers. TE Ben Watson helped many Browns fans get over Kellen Winslow, and oh look who’s coming to dinner! I could go on, but will leave it as: it’s time to play for reals. Let’s get it on! Without further ado…
The Browns Will Win If…
Craig: …they win the time of possession battle. That seems like the key to me. In order to win it the Browns will have to control the line of scrimmage, run the ball effectively and not turn the ball over. If the Browns offensive line takes care of business, then I expect Delhomme, Jerome Harrison and Peyton Hillis to be able to handle the rest.
Scott: …the offense can continue to build off of the production we saw in the preseason and they win the takeaway battle. I think the Browns defense will continue to give up their share of big plays (I forecast rookie receiver Mike Williams to have at least one reception of 25 yards…), but with Tampa Bay’s quarterback situation in flux, Cleveland should be able to keep them at bay. The game will come down to what the Browns do when they have the ball. If they can do more of the same – perhaps with a little Cyclone mixed in for good measure – the Jake Delhomme career revival tour can get off to a roaring start. Quick, on-target passes to the tight ends, stretch the field with the wide receivers and smash the ball down their throats with Peyton Hills. Sounds like an excellent forecast for success, and one that is very possible if they do not make costly mistakes.
DP: …they control the ball on offense and bend but don’t break on defense. The old adage is that the best offense is a good defense. In the Browns’ case, the best defense is a good offense. After talking with our guest blogger, it sounds like the Browns can have success running they ball. If they can successfully rotate their running backs, keep the chains moving, and give their defense time to rest in the heat, they have a good chance to win this game. If the running game is successful, and Jake Delhomme can continue to be accurate with his short and intermediate throws, the Browns can grind out long drives and score some points. On defense, there wasn’t much from the pre-season to make you think this defense is going to stop many teams, but the addition of Shaun Rogers should certainly help. I look for some lineups with Rogers and Ahtyba Rubin side-by-side to stop the run and collapse the pocket. Some semblance of coverage on Kellen Winslow—who is really the Bucs only real receiving threat—would be helpful, as the TE always seems to be a killer to the Browns on defense. If the Browns’ offense can help keep the defense fresh, I give the team a very good chance to win this game by 10+ points.
Rick: …they take care of the ball. Turnovers were the biggest reason Cleveland’s offense struggled in the preseason. Toe to toe with Tampa Bay I like our chances. Give them extra possessions at home and it’s an uphill battle. Defensively the Browns have to find ways of getting pressure, and Shaun Rogers should help with that this week. Offensively I think Delhomme has the advantage given his success against Tampa in the past. The running game needs to be effective to take some pressure off Jake, and there is no reason to think it won’t be. I like the Browns by a touchdown in this one.
Andrew: …they can establish their running game. Sounds so cliché and so simple, but in all honesty, the Browns discovered a formula to give them a chance to win games at the end of the year last season, and it was all about the running game. In the preseason I didn’t see the same explosion through the holes that Jerome Harrison showed us last season, but that’s what they need to establish. The best way to beat a team with even talent on the road is to dominate the line of scrimmage. Even with the improvements the Browns have made, they’re still not a team that can afford to make mistakes and still win games, so they will also need Jake Delhomme to protect the possessions and as a team they need to avoid typical first week penalties that have killed this franchise for so many years. There’s still a ton this team needs to do well each and every game to have a chance to win, but against Tampa, I think getting Harrison going early is more important than anything else.
TD: …they plan on being “competitive”. If the Browns plan on having a “competitive” season, then this is a game they must win. Tampa Bay is one of the bottom five teams in the league. Their second year QB Josh Freeman missed most of camp due to injury. Their top RB is Cadillac Williams, he of the multiple knee surgeries. Their #1 receiver is fifth round pick Mike Williams. Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, Ronde Barber, and John Lynch aren’t comin’ through that door on D. This is a young transitioning team picked to finish dead last in the NFC South. The Browns arguably play in the toughest division in football, so winning games against teams like Tampa Bay is a must. I look for our first Wildcat sightings with Josh Cribbs and Seneca Wallace. You just know they are itching to break that out of the arsenal since the offense didn’t show it once in preseason (by design). I also am excited to watch the thunder and lighting of Peyton Hillis and Jerome Harrison pound the ball right down the throats of the Tampa front seven. Defensively, you can bet Freeman will try to test rookies Joe Haden and TJ Ward. If they can contain Williams and the running game, I fully expect the Browns to take this one.
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Now for the other side of the coin. We reached out to a couple of Buccaneers blogs to see how the other side feels about this game. Eric Schmidt is the writer of What The Bucs for the Fanball.com network and the lead NFL editor for Rantsports.com where he covers 10 teams as well as being the author of the NFL dedicated site, Redzonetalk.com, and he was happy to oblige. Without further ado…
The Buccaneers Will Win If…
…they improve on their run defense. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming off a 3-13 season and a season in which they went through total disarray. For over a decade, the Buccaneers had been known for great defensive play, but age and free agency robbed the Buccaneers of playmakers on the defensive side of the ball. Tampa finished dead last in the NFL against the rush, surrendering nearly 160 yards per game. The only player remaining on the Bucs Super Bowl roster is Ronde Barber, who has lost a step entering his 13th season. In order to address the issue of run defense, Tampa used their first two picks of the 2010 draft to select DT’s Gerald McCoy and Brian Price. While McCoy has shown some flashes this preseason, Price has been hampered with injuries. Cleveland comes to Tampa with Jake Delhomme under center. Buccaneers fans are not happy to see him: the former Carolina Panther is a Buccaneer killer. This time, however, he visits Ray Jay without Steve Smith and he has a corps of young receivers. It will be imperative that the Buccaneers shut down veteran TE Ben Watson, as Delhomme loves throwing to his tight end.
On the offensive side of the ball, it appears there is now a possibility that Josh Freeman might not start at quarterback against the Browns. Freeman fractured his thumb two weeks ago in a preseason game and has not played since suffering the injury. Freeman was held out of practice today, after practicing yesterday. If Freeman can’t go, Josh Johnson will get the nod at QB. The Buccaneers are also dealing with their own youth movement at wide receiver. Syracuse WR Mike Williams has made noise during the Bucs preseason along with second year slot receiver Sammie Stroughter. Former Browns TE Kellen Winslow has been nursing injuries all preseason and hasn’t seen any live game action yet. Tampa released Derrick Ward last week and are left with Carnell Williams at running back along with two young players, Kareem Huggins out of Hofstra and rookie LeGarrette Blount who was claimed by the Bucs off waivers from the Titans.
In order for the Bucs to have a chance to beat the Browns, it will take long sustained, precise drives using runs and short passes by the Tampa offense which will keep the Browns defense on the field for long periods of time. No doubt that Tampa will wear their white jerseys and use the home field advantage of the heat. September home games in Ray Jay are 10th-level-of-hell hot.
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What say, there, fuzzy britches?
19 Comments
“The old adage is that the best offense is a good defense.”
Unless your offense IS your defense!
/Sasha’d
Control time of possession and be better conditioned–that’s the formula. Talent-wise, there is no reason whatsoever that this Tampa team should be in the game long, and I say that knowing full well that the Browns are one of the less talented teams overall in the league this season–the Bucs are just that bad. If the Browns D can’t contain a stable of mediocre RBs and no-name, little game WRs led by either a) an overhyped, inexperienced QB or b) an unknown, inexperienced QB, then this will be a long, long season for us. Offensively, Delhomme needs to be the efficient guy we saw in preseason, and Harrison needs to hold onto the ball and not tap-dance in the backfield. I will consider anything less that a double-digit win for the Browns to be a disappointment on Sunday.
*make that “less THAN”
Run the ball then run it some more. Keep the defense honest with an occassional pass. I look for Ben Watson to have a good game.
Go Browns!!
I am piss in my pants excited for this game.
Here we go Brownies, here we go!
OK, maybe I’m hallucinating, but are we not talking about Woody Hayes football here? LOL.
all the above views are accurate. The key is stopping TBs tight ends over the middle, and RBs.
B-bo – Any win will do. I don’t see the Browns as being in any type of position to compain about the margin of victory in a win.
I am terrified of our first two games. I usually get until about week 3 or 4 before I realize how god awful we actually re.
If we go 0-2 or even 1-1 that reality will set in much earlier than usual.
I dont think we see the Cyclone until week 3, maybe 4. The first 2 games we need to see this offense. Don’t break open a new bag of tricks for a team we should beat straight up. Delhomme, Harrison, Robo, Watson all should have big games. Moore will probably add 3 or 4 catches also. I do not want to see the Bucs get over 20 points. I need to see this D step up and play well in week 1. Big game, and I hope a big win… even tho I cant watch!!!!!!!!!!! (angry exclamations)
Mark-That kind of attitude I would share against better-quality competition, but this is a team we should handle. Squeaking one out against this particular opponent would be discouraging to me. Of course you take the win regardless, but I’m just as concerned with us looking competent in the process.
B-bo – I’ve been drinking the cool-aid during training camp and after the 1st pre-season game but then I had to step back a bit and reasess. Pre-season is pre-season meaning I’m really not sure how much value we should put into it. If Delhomme and the Browns O stunk it up on Sunday would we continue to put any value in what we saw in August? I wouldn’t. So I’m just talking a wait and see approach. Afterall, we don’t see too many 35 year old QB’s suddenly find the fountain of youth the way we are all hoping Delhomme has.
I’d like to have your confidence in the Browns improvement but I’ll wait and hold out hope. Truth is, the Bucs might as well be the same team we are.
“Derrick Brooks, Warren Sapp, Ronde Barber, and John Lynch aren’t comin’ through that door on D.”
I am about certain that Ronde Barber WILL in fact be” walking through that door” on Sunday . . .
my money says that james davis will work his way into many more carries than media and fans think. that will keep the pressure on harrison to perform and the browns will run more than people think. that should open delhomme to use the play action and not feel the need to win the games by himself. safer passes
LFDM: I’m thinking that, at his age, Barber will be more hobbling through that door than anything.
🙂
So,
1. we need to run (big opportunity for Harrison facing the NFLs 2 worst rush defenses from last year to start off the year).
2. we need to stop the run (TB averaged 87yds/game last year rushing, which is not exactly scary)
I think that sounds about right here and we should be able to get it done.
DP: True dat!!
Do you really expect Davis to get carries? Mangini/ Daboll will have a hard enough time fitting Harrison and Hillis in a rotation. My money is one get 25+ touches and the other gets 5-10. Cant talk myself into who will get more tho. But the coaches proved last year they dont know how to have 2 rbs. Harrison plays when Lewis is out and got 121 yards vs a good D against Cincy. then Lewis comes back and stutter steps a whole game while Harrison sits the bench. Part of me thinks Harrison is the starter and to expect a lot of touches for him, but then I look at Hillis and think Mangini loves this guy. Tough call… but still, they arent getting equal touches and Davis isnt getting any (barring injuries)
It’s all about the D-line. We already know the Bucs have no passing game. So if Rubin and big Shaun can shut down an already average core of RB’s then Tampa will have a long day.
Go Browns!
[…] the game with us here at WFNY and check out some of our posts from earlier in the week on the game. “The Browns Will Win If…” is the usual fan favorite but we also have a post on Kellen Winslow, the offensive line, […]